UN aids stalled Barro Blanco talks

UNITED NATIONS officials met with indigenous leaders and Panama government representatives on Sunday, August 2 to help get stalled talks over the future of the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project back on track.

The discussions focused on the composition of the representatives from both sides.
The planned meetings will include local authorities, indigenous leaders and officials from nongovernmental organizations.
Sunday’s meetings also worked on establishing a roadmap for the discussion.
The government is committed to addressing this issue through dialogue and consensus, but the project, which is 95 percent complete, is opposed by indigenous residents due to its impact on their communities. They have demanded the work be dismantled.